Apothic Red Winemaker’s Blend – A Whole Lot of Flavor Goin’ On

Blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Merlot from California. SRP of $14 but available for $7.99 at Costco.

Sample received courtesy E. & J. Gallo for review purposes.

From the bottle:

“Inspired by the ‘Apotheca’ a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in 13th century Europe, Apothic Red offers a truly unique wine experience.

A masterful blend of rich Zinfandel, flavorful Syrah and smooth Merlot, creating layers of dark red fruit complemented by hints of vanilla and mocha.

13.1 Alcohol”

This is the second of our reader requested reviews this week after having reviewed the FlipFlop Moscato yesterday. Once again, I had a little trepidation going into this review knowing the popularity of this wine and that it tends to be quite sweet for a red wine, which is not my favorite style. And once again, I had little reason to worry.

The 2009 Apothic Red Winemaker’s Blend begins with aromas of plum and blackberry. Actually not just blackberry but really just a whole lot of berry flavor. What we have here is a certified “fruit bomb” and normally in this situation the fruit just overwhelms everything else, for better or for worse. That is decidedly not the case here; however, as this wine also exhibits many other interesting flavors. There are aromas of vanilla, spice, and maple. The wine tastes of juicy mixed berries for sure, but also cherry cola, brown sugar and then a little spice that gives way to a finish of lingering chocolate and maple syrup. A very intriguing wine that will take you through quite a trip of flavors. I also couldn’t help thinking this could pair really nicely with a bbq pizza. Cheers!

Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor Marketview Liquor or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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